Slagbröder
by BrutalWarElf
Summary: Berserkr 'verse. Cultures clash as Toki and Skwisgaar try to settle as musicians at an English court. Christianity does not quite agree with the liberties they could take under Viking laws.


The Christian culture of the kingdom of Northumbria clashed fiercely with the lifestyle Toki had become accustomed to in Scandinavia, but it was not all bad. Steady employ as a court musician had brought him more luxury than any amount of raiding would ever have earned him. The patronage of the king had many advantages, but also called for restraint. While in Scandinavia his relationship with Skwisgaar would have been overlooked as long as they both married and reproduced, here in England they faced the death penalty for what they called 'sodomy' in the Scriptures.

It was a confusing term. The only equivalent in his language he could come up with was _rassragr, _except that did not apply to him. Only Skwisgaar would be considered _rassragr_ in Scandinavia, but Toki got the idea that he would not escape the noose, or the pyre, or whatever dishonourable executions these Christian came up with either if they ever got caught.

Living together under the king's roof therefore was not an option, and they had to be exceedingly careful about where they met. Toki's favourite place was the bathhouse. Despite the large basins being less clean than sweating off filth in the sauna and rolling in the snow afterwards, they provided ample advantages due to the less extreme temperatures. The submerged tiered benches hid activity from sight, and it was commonly accepted for men to be naked in there together.

No light burned in the brackets on the wall at this hour, but Toki had learned to navigate his way here by memory. Meeting in the dead of night was never a problem due to their working hours, though it was a crying shame they rarely slept together anymore. The water was still, but the rustling echo of clothes among the stone columns betrayed the presence of another man. In the faint light of the moon shining through those wondrous glass windows a slender, pale body became visible.

Toki's breath caught in his throat every time he saw Skwisgaar; he was still his _Skogalv_, a mythical creature come to bathe in a moonlit pond. Fair hair glinted in the dark, as did his limbs when he regally descended into the water.

'You amen'ts very stealthy when you breathes dat loudly, Tokis.' His amused murmur carried across the rippling water.

He knew better than to rip off his clothes and throw himself at Skwisgaar, but the urge always remained. Pulling his heavy tunic over his head, he stayed silent, though he smiled to himself. Skwisgaar watched him imperiously from his perch in the water, but Toki knew they were equals here, if not in their work. Still a warrior at heart, it was sometimes strange to have to adjust to the soft life of a court musician, but Skwisgaar had it down to an art. He was skilled, inspired and charming, and though Toki admired that of him to the point of envy, he rested assured in the affection he got in the stolen moments in empty hallways, dark taverns and during nightly baths.

'You just goings to stares at me fors a while?'

Staring was a dangerous habit, but here, unobserved, he could get away with it.

Skwisgaar stared in equal measure when he dropped his trousers after rolling up his leg wraps with a patience he did not feel, though it was with hooded eyes.

'Please, takes you times,' Skwisgaar said, mock courtesy barely veiling his own impatience, 'we gots all nights.'

Toki sat down on the far edge of the basin. 'Come here,' her beckoned with quiet authority, 'and shut up. I hear you talk far too much as it is, during the day.'

'Why don'ts you sees if you can make me?' Skwisgaar taunted, but he crossed the pool to kneel on the bench between Toki's legs where he indicated.

'With pleasure.' Grasping Skwisgaar's chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tilted his head so that he could bend down to kiss him briefly on his perpetually disapproving mouth. The touch of his full lips eased the yearning he had to live with most nights, and fought it back for a little while.

Forcing Skwisgaar's mouth open with well-placed pressure of his thumb, he lightly delved his tongue in. Skwisgaar had little taste for kissing since was hard to breathe when his bold nose pressed into Toki's cheek, but for Toki it was the best thing he could think of, so he claimed kisses whether Skwisgaar volunteered them or not. Or perhaps the second best thing, but it was close. He released Skwisgaar's mouth in favour of guiding his head down between his legs, where he latched onto Toki's cock with enthusiasm. Slipping one hand into the water he stroked himself in time with the movement of his mouth as Toki leaned back to enjoy the sight. Skwisgaar's low, breathy moans were a thing of beauty as his tongue worked the underside of Toki's cock, but Toki liked taking Skwisgaar up on his challenges and showing him who made the rules.

'I thought I told you to shut up,' he growled, lightly tugging his hair to make him look up. Upon release his cock slapped wetly against his abdomen, and Skwisgaar's eyes darted between his face and his erection. 'Do you think you can at least try to do as you're told?' He asked dangerously.

Skwisgaar grinned with downcast eyes before nodding. Grabbing him under his arms, Toki heave him with his stomach onto the edge of the sunken basin, his slim white ass perfectly in position for what he had in mind. The resounding smack as his hand connected playfully with his left cheek was uncomfortably loud, but Skwisgaar was quiet.

'I hope you prepared ere you came here?' Skwisgaar nodded affirmatively. 'Good. I'm going to mount you and you're going to keep quiet, understood?'

Spreading Skwisgaar's half-submerged legs he knelt between them on the bench, and unceremoniously shoved inside, flattening himself against his back to nuzzle his hair. Skwisgaar let out an exhale that bordered on a hiss, but he was only true to his word until Toki bucked into him with all the force of his pent-up longing. Clapping a hand over Skwisgaar's mouth to stifle his cries Toki bit his own tongue to keep from making too much noise. If they got caught in this position there was no way they would escape punishment. The uncertainty of when they would see each other like this again added an edge of desperation to his thrusts; he wanted to preserve the moment but also satisfy his need for Skwisgaar immediately.

His release brought him a blissful, temporary calm as he dragged Skwisgaar back into the water, onto his lap, to languidly stroke him until he, too, was spent. Toki loved the music they made together, but these moments were most precious to him, where under the cover of darkness they could complete each other; brothers in arms, friends, lovers.

'Come rides out with me tomorrows, Toki. Lets de other men handles de work. I miss you.' Skwisgaar adjusted his long limbs to comfortably rest in his arms.

Sweeping the damp ends of Skwisgaar's hair onto his back, Toki kissed the side of his face at will.

'And I miss you. Things were simpler on the farm.'

'Worse, in a ways, but we should look into gettings our own when we retires from dis. Maybe moves back to Scandinavia?'

'You have no idea how much I love that idea, but we have friends here now.'

'People whats want to hang us if they knew. It amen'ts a bad life, as long as we ams carefuls, I guess.'

They dressed in silence, Skwisgaar in his English court fashion and Toki in the garments he brought from home.

'You don'ts needs to dress like you's goings to hikes through de snows anymores.' Skwisgaar remarked with an eye on his leg wraps.

'I like them. Shut up.' Skwisgaar kissed him affectionately. 'See you tomorrow, min elskede.'

'I loves you, too.' A whisper among the columns as he pulled on his shoes.

It wasn't a bad life.


End file.
